Can you believe summer is winding down already?  Back to school sales, tax-free weekends, pencils, crayons and notebooks and talk of teachers getting their classrooms ready.  I’ve even heard some talk about pumpkin spice already!  Didn’t we just finish up our school year?  Didn’t summer just get here?  Why do these lazier days seem to zoom by so quickly?  (I say lazier, and not “lazy” days because between camps and various lessons and activities some of these summer days seem anything but lazy!)

So in defiance of all that, we went to the pool today.  Some of our neighborhood pools have closed already for the season, so we drove to the next town over and visited theirs.  Such fun!

My kiddos have always been fish.  I have video of FixerGirl at three years old, leaping headlong off a diving board and swimming across the pool lengthwise to the other side.  Amazing stuff.  OtterGirl has always been fearless around water too.  For the longest time, her favorite form of entering a pool was with a huge jump followed by a beautiful stretch out in mid-air that always ended in a glorious belly-flop. She always claimed it never hurt, but oh, they were painful to watch!  Watching her famous belly-flops always gave people a chuckle.  It was a bit sad when she learned how to dive for real!

Watching my kiddos swim and play made me realize something.  There’s just something about playing in water that causes them to put aside any animosity or squabbles they may have been dealing with earlier in the day, and just get along. Admittedly, there are times that RocketBoy and FixerGirl aren’t the best of friends, (I usually chalk it up to their 6 year age difference,) but you’d never know that was the case watching him carry her around piggyback in the pool.

And it’s not just swimming pools either.  Give them a chance to play in the hose in the backyard on a hot summer day… instant camaraderie.  Bubbles? Check. (At least when they were younger!)  Water balloons? Oh yeah… slip n slides? For as long as the slide lasts until the pillow at the end pops… (which doesn’t take long in our family!)  There’s just something about adding water that changes the mood, changes the mindset, and helps reset relationships sometimes.

Is someone feeling out of sorts?  A bath usually helps.  Having trouble sleeping? A cool glass of water does the trick… and don’t forget the wintertime fun!  Snow is water too!  Haha!  (Ok, no bringing that stuff up, it is still August after all!)

Just to say… next time the kids are arguing, try letting them play in a sink full of soapy water.  Blow the bubbles, or make the homemade snow cones… whatever it is, just add water and you’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes.

What fun water activities happen at your house?   Do you have a favorite way to get rid of the “grumpies” in your kiddos?  Let us know!!